Are You Looking for Vegan Passover Recipes? The Vegetarian Resource Group has published 3 vegan cookbooks that offer vegan Passover recipes:

No Cholesterol Passover Recipes, by Debra Wasserman, features 100 vegan recipes that are easy to prepare. Some of the dishes include Matzo Meal Pancakes, Mushroom Potato Soup, Fresh Tomato Soup, Adele’s Eggplant Caviar, Chopped “Liver” Spread, Sweet Potato Kugel, Nut “Cheese” Surprise, Layered Vegetable Casserole, Indian-Style Potato Dish, Stuffed Cabbage, Fruit-Nut Chews, and Festive Macaroons.

Vegan Passover Recipes, by Chef Nancy Berkoff, RD includes recipes for French Onion Soup, Pear and Apple Slaw, Eggplant and Almond Sauce, Minted Carrots with Chilies, Coconut Curry over Greens, Spinach and Okra Stew, Cinnamon Matzo Balls, and A.M. Crunchies.

The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook, by Debra Wasserman, features 150 lowfat vegan recipes from around the world. Thirty-three of the recipes are appropriate for Passover including Moroccan Beet Greens Salad, Turkish Mandarin Salad, Passover Kishke, Russian Potato and Mushroom Croquettes, Italian Sautéed Chicory, Syrian-Style Okra with Dried Fruit, Cold Cherry Soup, Romanian Kohlrabi Soup, Fruit Compote, and more.

You can purchase these books through The Vegetarian Resource Group Book Catalog:
http://www.vrg.org/catalog/

Dining Hall Diversity: Being Vegan at College (Specifically Goucher College in Towson, MD)
By Madeline St. John

As a vegan, eating out–or simply eating food that you haven’t prepared yourself–is something of a challenge. Eating on a college meal plan can also sometimes be challenging. Fortunately, as vegans and vegetarians increase in number, especially among young people, dining halls are improving their vegan and vegetarian options.

Bon Appétit, the company that provides the food for Goucher College (which I attend) certainly makes an effort to provide for vegetarians and vegans. Goucher currently has two dining halls (though this is soon to change)—Stimson and Huebeck. Stimson boasts an extensive salad bar that typically includes tofu or garbanzo beans. However, while Stimson’s salad bar is more impressive, Huebeck definitely has more hot plate vegan options. For the most part, Huebeck’s staff seems to experiment with Italian, Indian, and Chinese cuisine. Sometimes the options may be disappointing or a little too experimental, but as far as I have seen there is always at least one vegan option. During lunch hours, Huebeck currently serves stir-fry, which is a favorite among Goucher students. Stir-fry is also now being offered in Stimson at dinnertime.

Along with the two dining halls, Goucher also has a couple of cafés—the Pearlstone Passport Café and Alice’s Restaurant. Pearlstone serves packaged vegan Indian food that you can microwave in your dorm. However, I almost never buy these because they cost the same as a meal swipe and are much less food. Pearlstone also serves Mexican food (it is somewhat similar to Chipotle) and has a sandwich bar. You can order a vegan burrito, vegan tacos, or just a plate or bowl with rice, beans, and whatever toppings you want. It is also all very customizable. Pearlstone has a breaded tofu option that I greatly enjoy in my tacos. They serve French fries so you can get some French fries in your burrito, if that’s your style. Another bonus: the charge for vegan tacos is less than for meat tacos (as it should be!). Pearlstone also sells fruit cups, bags of carrots, veggie chips, Naked juice, and delicious (if expensive) vegan cookies. While eating at Pearlstone is less economical than eating at a dining hall (a meal swipe, which gets you all-you-can-eat at a dining hall only gives you $7 at the cafés on campus), it is a great option if you’re craving some Mexican food, if you’re eating at an odd hour, or if you need to get somewhere.

Pearlstone is open until 9 pm, but Alice’s is Goucher’s true late-night option. It stays open until midnight. Alice’s is a bit like a Starbucks. They serve lots of fancy drinks, such as Italian sodas and coffees. There are vegan milk substitutes (soy, almond, coconut) for the drinks. Actually, all of the dining halls offer soymilk, and Pearlstone has a soymilk option for putting in coffee. Alice’s Restaurant also sells snack foods (that include some vegan chip and cookie options), fruit, and sandwiches. Sometimes there is a vegan sandwich option. There will also sometimes be a vegan soup option. Paired with a bagel, vegan soup makes for a pretty solid meal. Bagels are ubiquitous on campus, available in a variety of types at almost all the eateries. I have been told by all my friends from New York and New Jersey that they can’t stand the bagels; that they just can’t compare with bagels from back home. (Personally, however, I eat a lot of bagels.)

The Van, located in Van Meter, one of Goucher’s academic buildings, is a grab-and-go stop. They have bagels. They also serve orange juice, Naked juice, and little containers of hummus and pretzels. This is the place to go if you need to grab food between classes.

While it may not always seem like vegan options on campus are the most bountiful, they are still increasing. For example, Goucher recently started selling amazing vegan caramel popcorn and vegan cookies from Divvies. The great thing about these products, while they are more expensive than some of the other options, is that they provide great ways of proving to your friends that vegan desserts and junk food do exist. And they can be just as, or even more delicious, than non-vegan options!

While the dining halls offer enough options that you can avoid getting sick of them (by varying where you eat, what you eat, and trying new things), Goucher also has nice facilities for preparing your own food. Every dorm has a common room with a kitchen, which are usually equipped with an oven, stove, microwave, sink, full-size refrigerator, and cabinets. You can store your things in the cabinets and refrigerators—just label them, keep them clean, and keep them out of others’ way. In order to cook vegan food, you will have to bring or buy your own cooking equipment (or team up with people and purchase shared equipment) but once you have the supplies, it is easy enough to find an open kitchen. Also, as an upperclassman it is possible to apply for an apartment, in which case you would have a kitchen in your dorm in which you could prepare vegan food.

Goucher is located near an enormous mall, a Trader Joe’s, and a Fresh Market. Trader Joe’s is a great place to get fairly affordable vegan fare, with Fresh Market being a slightly classier, much more expensive option. These stores are about a 15-minute walk from campus (ask around about shortcuts; there are a few). A 15-minute walk in the other direction will take you to an enormous shopping center (Towson Place), with a Shoppers, Target, Walmart, and more. With so many stores so close by, there are a lot of options for buying vegan groceries.

Goucher also has a cooking club (started last year by a couple of my friends, actually), which sometimes cooks vegan options (mostly because of my influence). Because Goucher is such a small school, with a large fund from the student activity fee, it is quite easy to start up your own club. Clubs can apply for funding to host activities and organize events. Cooking club typically prepares a meal or dessert once a week. If you were to start up a vegan cooking club, you would simply have to have some documentation of support and need (like eight or ten student signatures) and get an advisor (a member of faculty or staff who is willing to sign your paperwork). After that, it is easy enough to apply for the money to purchase materials and food!

One of the great things about being vegan at Goucher is the supportiveness of the campus. Most people have an idea of what a vegan is, and if they don’t, they will typically be curious and willing to listen to your explanation. For the most part, people will be considerate of your choices and support your dietary needs as much as they can. For example, I recently went to a training for which they bought us all free pizza. When I told the organizers I was vegan, they were very apologetic and said they would order a vegan pizza next time. They were apologizing for not providing me with free food! While vegans are still in the minority, I know more vegans now than I ever have, and there are certainly a great deal of vegetarians on campus. The college environment, at least at Goucher, is an environment in which vegans are a supported and respected population.

If you enjoy reading all The Vegetarian Resource Group Blog/Facebook postings and would like to support our vegan research and outreach, please consider becoming a Life Member (which includes receiving Vegetarian Journal).

To become a VRG Life Member, visit:
http://www.vrg.org/bookstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=25&zenid=47f44ec5a79f487098f46df0fba7b3fc

Each year, The Vegetarian Resource Group holds an essay contest for kids.

SUBJECT: 2-3 page essay on any aspect of veganism/vegetarianism. Vegetarianism is not eating meat, fish, and birds (for example, chicken or duck). Vegans do not consume any animal products . Among the many reasons for being a vegan/vegetarian are beliefs about ethics, culture, health, aesthetics, religion, world peace, economics, world hunger, and the environment.

Entrants should base their paper on interviewing, research, and/or personal opinion. You need not be a vegetarian to enter. All essays become the property of The Vegetarian Resource Group.

Contest details can be found here: http://www.vrg.org/essay/

Want to learn more about how you can lead a sustainable lifestyle? Join the movement and shop green at the 12th annual Green Festival May 6-8th in Washington, DC. The Vegetarian Resource Group will be at booth #504.

Tickets and info here: http://bit.ly/23hupdK Use ticket code VRG16 for discounted tickets on the weekend. See you there!

Whether Easter is an important religious holiday to you, or just a way to welcome spring and gather with family and friends for a festive meal, here are some ways to celebrate the season without doing harm to chicks, bunnies, or any other living things.

-Instead of dyeing eggs, try creating these colorful paper versions if you want a craft to make with children.

-If you’re interested in recreating the tradition of dyeing eggs, try these ceramic versions from EggNots:

Use natural food coloring such as http://www.colorgarden.net/

-Sponsor a Farm Animal or visit a Farm Sanctuary: http://www.compassionatefarming.org/sanctuaries.html

-Try Chef Nancy Berkoff’s Recipe for Egg-less Vegan Quiche and easy Crisped Rice Eggs using puffed rice cereal and carob for Easter brunch

FAST CRISPED RICE EGGS

(Makes 8-10 small eggs)

¼ cup vegan chocolate or carob chips
2 cups puffed rice cereal
Melt chocolate in a microwave or on the stove. Remove from heat, mix in cereal, and very quickly form into shapes. Store on a parchment- or waxed paper-lined tray.

-Hide plastic eggs stuffed with mini Dandies vegan marshmallows and have an Easter egg hunt! Find Dandies near you: http://dandiesmarshmallows.com/where-to-buy

-Make a cruelty-free Easter basket of goodies for the kids. Fill with stuffed chicks or bunnies, dried fruit and nuts, vegan or spring-themed children’s books, a vegan coloring page, baby carrots (From the Easter bunny!), and stickers. Instead of stuffing with plastic Easter grass, shred colorful sections of the newspaper (like the comics!) or magazines for a fun grass-like filling. Annie’s vegan fruit snacks, shaped like bunnies, have never been more appropriate!

-Find Sweet and Sarah vegan, non-GMO, Kosher marshmallow bunnies and chicks near you: http://sweetandsara.com/where-to-buy/

-See a list of some companies who make vegan Easter candy here: http://www.vrg.org/blog/2014/04/11/vegan-easter-candy/

Green Soup with Chickpeas
A highly nutritious soup made with spinach and chickpeas by clinical dietitian, Surbhi Girdhar
(Serves 4-5)

1 Tablespoon olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
1 medium onion (chopped)
2 medium tomatoes (diced)
2 green chillies (optional)
16 ounces fresh spinach (washed)
1-2 cups water
Salt to taste
16-ounce canned chickpeas(drained)
Parsley leaves (for garnish)
Red pepper flakes (for garnish)

In a pan, heat olive oil, then add chopped garlic and ginger. Sauté for one minute. Next, add chopped onions, diced tomatoes, and optional green chillies. Sauté until mixture is soft. In the meanwhile, boil/microwave spinach until tender. Add it to the above mixture and cook for few more minutes. Let the mixture cool and then put it in a blender. Blend to almost purée consistency. Now, put soup back in a pan and add about 1-2 cups of water. Add salt to taste and chickpeas and let soup simmer for few minutes. Garnish with some parsley leaves and red pepper flakes (optional).

Location:Tucson, Arizona
Contact:[email protected]

Job Description:
Assist with the operations of a vegan restaurant. The ideal candidate will have significant restaurant management experience and extensive knowledge of a vegan diet and lifestyle, including health aspects and animal advocacy issues.

Duties & Responsibilities:
– Opening and closing the restaurant
– Assist with the hiring and training of staff
– Schedule employees in relation to customer flow
– Coordinate activities and side jobs of staff
– Ensure that employees are performing their jobs correctly and efficiently
– Ensure that the highest standards of cleanliness are maintained in the premises at all times
– Oversee the budget
– Maintain inventory, ordering food and supplies
– Maintain equipment and facility
– Ensure that correct food holding temperatures are maintained, that refrigeration units and steam tables are functioning properly
– Secure the premises and the inventory
– Serve food and beverages, including alcohol
– Ensure that customers are served in a timely manner
– Address complaints from staff and customers
– Monitor the quality of ingredients, meals, restaurant environment and service
– Assist with food preparation and cooking as needed
– Ensure dating and proper rotation of stock
– Assist with publicity and promotions
– Maintain and interactive and friendly atmosphere with customers and employees
– Identify ways to measure and improve system performance

Required skills
– Must be a good motivator and leader
– Must be good at problem solving
– Must have good computer skills
– Must be skillful with social media
– Must have cooking skills

For information on the restaurant, visit: www.LovinSpoonfuls.com

According to a State of the Industry presentation at Natural Products Expo West 2016, the natural products industry grew 9.5% to $180 billion dollars in 2015. Food and beverages accounted for $67 billion dollars of those sales.

Fifty seven percent of sales was through mass market channels. Internet accounted for three percent of industry sales. Organics accounted for $35 billion in sales. In a three month period, 40% of consumer used a plant protein option. Twenty four percent used a soy protein option.

As a perspective, according to statista.com, in 2013 total food sales in the U.S. was 1.42 trillion dollars.

For more poll information, see:
http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/faq.htm#poll

What a great story for us vegans!